Not My Father's Son

A Memoir

Dark, painful memories can be like a cage. Or, in the case of Alan Cumming, they can be packed away in a box, stuck in the attic to be forgotten. Until one day the box explodes and all the memories flood back in horrible detail. Alan Cumming grew up in the grip of a man who held his family hostage, someone who meted out violence with a frightening ease, who waged a silent war with himself that sometimes spilled over onto everyone around him. That man was Alex Cumming, Alan's father ...

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Great listen, love his reading voice. Very moving, tears and OMG the poor wee lad and the grandma and grandpa. It is helpful to shine the light on the destruction dysfunctional family life is to all involved and how cathartic it can be to reach out, be vulnerable and share your truth. Having faced the past to then proceed on in this life to use your experience, strength and hope to make a better world is the best outcome there could be. Well done!

Acclaimed actor Alan Cumming relives his life with an abusive father as well as the story of how he found the skeletons in his families closet when he appeared on a celebrity genealogy program . The author is the narrator, his reading voice is excellent .

Reasonably well written (there is a good chance that this memoir was mostly written by the subject himself), and eloquent on Cumming's own feelings and history. Unfortunately the author does not go the extra mile and think deeply about the feelings and history of his parents, or other family members. The tone is uneven -- Cummings stops everything to give us his take on the Eurovision Song contest -- but there is drama in this story, and even suspense*. I recommend the audio version, which provides more subtle shades of meaning. Cumming's voice flows like butterscotch. *SPOILERS: I half expected that both the Cumming brothers would turn out not to be related to their father.

He is a very, very good writer. His descriptions are so vivid, you can almost see and feel exactly what he is describing. The only downside I found was that he spent too much time on his grandfather's history. Putting aside that bit of criticism, he is a compelling storyteller. I would highly recommend this audiobook.

Alan Cumming's honesty and heart are evident in this memoir of his troubled childhood. I didn't know if I would be able to listen to him (audiobook) tell the story of his father's physical abuse, but it's not overly detailed or horrific, and Cumming is a confident storyteller.

I don't read many celebrity books, so I was a bit reluctant--however, Cumming isn't writing about the famous people he works with or is friends with. This is a raw, important story about a young man finding his way, as well as dealing with tough family history.